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Brain Point-of-Care Ultrasound

Practical Guide and Protocols

  • 1st Edition - November 15, 2026
  • Latest edition
  • Editors: Camilo N. Rodríguez, Chiara Robba, Gisele Sampaio Silva, Aarti Sarwal, Eva Bartels, Danilo Cardim, Branko Malojcic
  • Language: English

Brain Point-of-Care Ultrasound: Practical Guide and Protocols explores brain hemodynamics and parenchyma examination, providing an orderly and protocolized approach that facili… Read more

Description

Brain Point-of-Care Ultrasound: Practical Guide and Protocols explores brain hemodynamics and parenchyma examination, providing an orderly and protocolized approach that facilitates individualized clinical decisions with ease. Covering ultrasound configuration, in-depth anatomical knowledge, and advanced parameters, this guide aims to integrate brain ultrasound seamlessly into the Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) modality, addressing the critical need for comprehensive patient assessment. From basic principles to specialized clinical situations, each section of this guide is meticulously crafted to empower practitioners with practical insights. Chapters explore Doppler spectral wave interpretation, angle correction nuances, autoregulation dynamics, and non-invasive pressure estimations, among others, thus enabling precise monitoring and targeted decision-making.

With a focus on integration across disciplines and specialties, this book bridges the gap between classical pathology and contemporary practice, positioning brain ultrasound as a pivotal tool in the armamentarium of modern critical care.

Key features

  • Explores essential topics, ranging from ultrasound configuration, anatomical basis, and advanced parameters
  • Provides a thorough understanding of brain hemodynamics and parenchyma examination
  • Bridges the gap between specialties, with insights on integrating brain ultrasound into multi-organ assessments

Readership

Neurologists and Neurology Residents; Neurosurgeons and Neurosurgery Residents; Intensive Care Medicine physicians and Intensive Care Medicine Residents; Emergency Medicine physicians and Emergency Medicine Residents

Table of contents

Section 1: Introduction

1. Brain-POCUS: A concept and Approach

Section 2: Ultrasound Configuration and Anatomical Basis

2. Brain-POCUS: Physical principles and equipment preparation

3. Brain-POCUS: Applied cerebrovascular Anatomy

Section 3: Basic and advanced parameters

4. Brain-POCUS: Clinical interpretation of Doppler spectral wave

5. Brain-POCUS: Angle of Insonation

6. Brain-POCUS: Clinical Application of cerebral Autoregulation (CA)

7. Brain-POCUS: Non-invasive estimation of ICP and CPP

8. Brain-POCUS: Cerebral venous system drainage

9. Brain-POCUS: Brain Parenchyma

10. Brain-POCUS: Arterial TCCS (TCCSA) insonation Protocol

11. Brain-POCUS: Venous TCCS (TCCSV) insonation Protocol

12. Brain-POCUS: Transorbital Sonography Protocol

Section 4: Insonation Protocols and Clinical Interpretation

13. Brain-POCUS: Brain integration into multi-organ POCUS

14. Brain POCUS: Role of Cardiac ultrasound

15. Brain-POCUS: Carotid Ultrasound Protocol

16. Brain-POCUS: Vertebral Ultrasound Protocol

17. Brain-POCUS: Subarachnoid Hemorrhage (SAH)

18. Brain-POCUS: Intracerebral Hemorrhage (ICH)

19. Brain-POCUS: Traumatic Brain injury

20. Brain-POCUS: Acute Ischemic Stroke

21. Brain-POCUS: Intracranial Collateral Circulation Insonation Protocol

22. Brain-POCUS: Central Nervous System (CNS) infections

23. Brain-POCUS: NCSE Insonation Protocol

24. Brain-POCUS: Insonation Protocol in Mechanical Ventilation (MV)

25. Brain-POCUS: Septic-associated Encephalopathy (SAE)

26. Brain POCUS : ECMO and ECCO2R

27. Brain-POCUS: CCaRE-US Insonation Protocol during CPR

28. Brain-POCUS: Renal Replacement Therapy (RRT)

29. Brain-POCUS: Brain Death Insonation Protocol

30. Brain-POCUS: Cerebral Arteriovenous Malformations (AVM)

Section 5: Application in Special clinical situations

31. Brain-POCUS: Brain Shock

32. Brain-POCUS: Cerebral Hyperperfusion Syndrome

33. Brain-POCUS: Vascular Procedures

34. Brain-POCUS: COVID-19

35. Brain-POCUS: Coma

36. Brain-POCUS: Critical pregnancy patient

37. Brain-POCUS: Acute Liver Failure

38. Brain-POCUS: Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU)

39. Brain-POCUS: Brain tumors

Product details

  • Edition: 1
  • Latest edition
  • Published: November 15, 2026
  • Language: English

About the editors

CR

Camilo N. Rodríguez

Intensive Care Physician, University of Buenos Aires (UBA), Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Hospital Nacional Prof. Dr. A. Posadas, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Neurocritical care Committee – FEPIMCTI

Neuro-intensive care section – ESICM

Neuro-intensive care section - AMCI

Member of ESNCH

Affiliations and expertise
University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina

CR

Chiara Robba

Chiara Robba is a Consultant in Neuro and General Intensive Care at Policlinico San Martino, Genova. She worked for many years at Addenbrookes Hospital, in Cambridge and she got a PhD in Neuroscience under the supervision of Prof Marek Czosnyka.

She is currently Chair of the Neuro Intensive Care section of the ESICM. Her research interests are mainly on Neuromonitoring, autoregulation and mechanical ventilation.

Affiliations and expertise
Neuro Intensive Care section of the ESICM, Italy

GS

Gisele Sampaio Silva

Gisele holds a degree in Medicine from the Federal University of Ceará (1999), a residency in Neurology from the Federal University of São Paulo (2003), a doctorate in Neurology from the Federal University of São Paulo (2005), a specialization (fellowship) in Cerebrovascular Diseases and Neurointensive Care at Harvard University/Massachusetts General Hospital (2009) and a master's degree in public health from Harvard School of Public Health (2014). She is currently a professor of Neurology at the Federal University of São Paulo and Head of Neurology Clinical Research at the Albert Einstein Hospital, São Paulo, Brazil. Gisele has been the principal investigator of numerous clinical trials in Brazil, including the RESILIENT trial, which led to the approval of mechanical thrombectomy in the Public Health System in the country. She has also held important positions in several national and international societies, such as the President of the Brazilian Stroke Society, a member of the Board of Directors for the Neurocritical Care Society, and past Secretary of the Brazilian Academy of Neurology. She is actively involved with the WSO/SIECV Certification of Stroke Centers in Latin American and Caribbean countries. She is one of the leaders of the Optimal Stroke trial, evaluating ideal blood pressure levels following ischemic stroke, which finalized the recruitment of more than 4000 patients in Brazil.
Affiliations and expertise
Federal University of São Paulo, Brazil

AS

Aarti Sarwal

Dr. Aarti Sarwal is a neurologist at Wake Forest Baptist Health in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. She specializes in emergency and trauma care. Dr. Sarwal is a neurocritical care physician that takes care of critically ill patients with neurological injuries or those that have undergone complex neurosurgical procedures. She is board certified in Neurology, Neurocritical Care and Neurosonology. Her clinical interests include non-invasive monitoring, critical care ultrasound, neuro-ultrasound, ventilator related complications and intracranial hemorrhage. She participates in clinical research focused on improving patient outcomes. Dr. Sarwal received her medical training from Government Medical College, Patiala (India), Neurology Residency at University of Missouri, Columbia, MO followed by Neurocrtocal Care fellowship at Cleveland Clinic, OH. She is currently the Medical Director of Neurocritical Care Unit at Wake Forest Baptist Health Center, Winston Salem, USA. Aarti is a passionate educator and the Co-Director of the Ultrasound Curriculum at Wake Forest School of Medicine. Aarti’s research and clinical interests focus on point of care applications of ultrasound in Neurocritical care and non invasive imaging modalities for monitoring of Neurocritical care patients. She is a faculty for several national and international Ultrasound workshops as well as Course director for ultrasound workshops. She is listed by US News and World Report among Best Doctors. She is also a champion for use of social media platforms in medical education.
Affiliations and expertise
Professor, Neurology Atrium Wake Forest School of Medicine, USA

EB

Eva Bartels

Eva Bartels, originally from Bratislava, Slovakia, where she studied medicine at the Comenius University in Bratislava, completed her neurology and psychiatry residency at various academic hospitals in Hamburg and Munich. In summer 1993 she was invitedto the Neurosonology Section of the Department of Neurology at the Bowman Gray School of Medicine/ Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC, USA as a visiting professor. From 2000-2008 she was at the head of the Neurovascular Laboratory at the Georg-August University in Göttingen, where in 2006 she became professor of neurology. Since 2008 she is professor of neurology at the Department of Neurology at the Technical University of Munich/ Klinikum rechts der Isar. Additionally, she works in her neurological practice, a specialized Center for Neurological Vascular Diagnostics in Munich.
Affiliations and expertise
Department of Neurology, Technical University of Munich, Germany

DC

Danilo Cardim

Danilo Cardim MD, PhD (USA): University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center Danilo Cardim is an academic researcher from University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. The author has contributed to research in topics: Intracranial pressure & Cerebral perfusion pressure. The author has an hindex of 20, co-authored 70 publications receiving 1291 citations. Previous affiliations of Danilo Cardim include Federal University of São Carlos & University of Genoa.
Affiliations and expertise
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, USA

BM

Branko Malojcic

Dr. Branko Malojcic, MD, PhD, is the Director of the TIA Center, Department of Neurology at University Hospital Center Zagreb. His research interests include Neurology, Neurosonology, Neuroimaging, Neurological Diseases, Brain Injury, and Surgery.
Affiliations and expertise
University Hospital Center Zagreb, Croatia